Parachute pull-up string holder



Sept. 12, 1944. w. R. HURT PARACHUTE PULL-UP STRING HOLDER Filed April 11 INVENTOR 11444420 P flu??- ATTORNEYJ Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PARAOHUTE PULL-UP STRING HOLDER.

Willard Robert Hurt, Topeka, Kans. Application April 11, 1944, Serial No. 530,572

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30,1928; 3'70 0. G. 757) 5 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

. This invention relates to atool for use in packeach fastener comprising a cone on one flap and Z,

a grommet on the mating flap, the grommet having an opening loosely fitting over the cone at its base and the cone having a small transverse hole near the base for a rip cord pin which fits it loosely and protrudes from the cone over the side of the grommet when in proper position.

In order to enter a rip cord pin through its transverse opening at'the base of the cone, the upper flap which contains the grommet must be held down while the cone is drawn upwardly through the grommet opening, and, since the cone is not of a shape which may be effectively grasped with the fingers, it has been the custom 'to thread a short length of string through the transverse hole in the cone, thread the free ends of the string upwardly through the grommet opening, then draw the cone up through the grommet into seating position and insert the rip cord pin into the transverse hole. with this method of assembly is that the flap containing the grommet must be held down with one hand while the string is pulled up with the other, making it necessary to insert the rip cord pin with the same hand as is holding down the grommet flap. In addition, since considerable effort must often be exerted on the string, the hand which manipulates the string often becomes cut and blistered.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a tool which will, with slight efi'ort and with one hand, both hold down the grommet and pull up on the pull-up string, leaving the other hand free to insert the rip cord pin.

Other objects and advantages will become evident as the invention is further described with reference to the drawing wherein a single figure shows the parachute pack with its fastenings and the tool which is the subject of this invention, a portion of the pack being broken away so that the tool may be shown to a larger scale.

In the drawing, a pack. l0 includes the usual upper flap l2, into which the grommets l4 are fastened, and a lower flap l6 which carries the cones l8. The usual rip cord 200has branches 22 each of which carries a rip cord pin 24 for insertion over the grommets and through the small transverse holes 26 which extend through the cones at the bases.

The cone l4 at the left end of the drawing has .the'rip cord pin 24 in the final position, while the other cone is shown with the pull-upstring 21 threaded through the small transverse hole at the base of the cone and the rip cord pin 24 -lying alongside ready for insertion. The parts thus far described are conventional. The tool which is the novel part of the invention may be described as follows:

A base member 3*!) is forked at the forward end as at 32 and bent upwardly at the rearward end as at 34 to provide a handle portion 36 having clearance underneath for the fingers when the tool is gripped by the hand. The space be- :tween the branches 32 of the fork is wide enough to admit the cone l8 freely. Pork 32 in operation, holds down the grommet l4 and may conveniently hereinafter be referred to as the hold down fork.

Fastened to the base 30 by any suitable means, as by welding, is a bracket 38 having two parallel legs extending upwardly, the upper ends being spaced apart to receive the lever 46 and provided with a fulcrum pin 42 upon which the lever The difiiculty is pivotally supported intermediate its ends. The rear end of the lever 40 is broadened so as to provide a handle portion 44 which, together with the handle portion 36 of the base, may be gripped by the hand. '8

A curved ratchet arm 46 is hinged by the hinge pin 48 to an ear 50 which extends rearwardly from the bracket 38. The arm 46 is provided with ratchet notches 52 one or another of which are engaged by the ratchet pin 54, which extends laterally from the lever 40, as the handles 36 and 44 are pressed together. An extension spring 56 is secured at one end to the bracket 38' and at the other end to an anchor pin 58 which extends laterally from the arm 46, whereby the ratchet pin 44 is always held in a notch 52.

The front end of the lever 40 is provided with a sma11 fork 60 to guide the pull-up string, -although any appropriate groove in the front of the lever would answer the same purpose. A hitch pin 62 is fixed in the lever near the fork, the pin extending laterally from both sides of the lever so that the pull-up string may be given a hitch the small fork, around the ends of -and-ln back 'of the clamp.

" lever 40 instead of on the bracket 38, if so desired. The pull-up string should be considered a part of the tool. r

The operation of the device may preferably be substantially as follows: 7

A pull-up string 21 is threaded through a transverse hole 26 in the cone I8, the'loose ends of the string being brought to even length. With the ratchet pin 54 preferably in the uppermost one of the notches 52, the tool is placed with the fork 32 over the grommet l4 and the string as brought up through the fork 60, given a turn around both ends of the pin 62, then fastened by drawing the two ends of the string in back of the spring clamp 64. v

, By now gripping the handles 36 and 44 with the handand pressing them together, the cone will be drawn up through the grommet to the seating position, the pin 54 at the same time moving downward to engage a notch 52 which is farther down on the arm 46. It is noted that the reaction inpulling upward on the cone l 8 causes the fork 32 to exert a downward pressure on the grommet l4. With the cone thus pulled into seating position :and held seated by the pin and ratchet teeth 52, the rip cord pin 24 may be inserted through the hole 25, after which the arm 46 may be withdrawn against the slight resistance of the spring 56, thus disengaging the pin 54 and notch 52 after which the string 21 may be easily released from I the clamp 64, pin 62 and fork GO and pulled from the hole 26, preferably being drawn rearwardly toward the handle 36. This operation is carried out as many times as there are cone and grommet fasteners on the pack, the number usually being either two or three.

Having thus described my inventiornI claim: 1. For holding down the grommet and drawing the cone therethrough to its seat when closing a parachute pack having cone-and-grommet fasteners with a transverse rip cord pinhole through 'thecone at the base, a tool which comprises a 'base member forked at the front end to fit over the base of the cone loosely and formed upwardly atthe rear end for a hand grip, a two-pronged bracket secured to said base intermediate its ends and extending upwardly, a lever pivotally supthrough said, lever near the fork, the ends of the hitch-pinextending laterally beyond the lever, a

cord clamp consisting of a flat'spring riveted'at 'its'lower end to a prong of said bracket near the upper end of said bracket, an ear extending rearwardly from said bracket, an arcuate arm hinged 1 at its lower end to said ear, said arm being provided with ratchet notches along the front edge,

an extension'spring having one end fast to said bracket and the other end fast to said arm, biased to swing said arm 'on its hinge toward said bracket, a ratchet pin extending laterally from said lever,'positioned to engage one or another of said notches, and a' pull-up string extending through the rip cord pinhole in the cone and having the free ends extending upwardly through the hitch-pin base member forked at the front end to fit over.

the base of the cone loosely and provided at the rear end with a hand grip, a bracket secured to said base intermediate its ends and extending upwardly, a lever fulcrumed on said bracket at the upper end, a small fork formed on the front end of said lever and a handle grip on the rear end, a hitch-pin extending from the lever, near the fork, a flat spring fast at its lower end to said bracket near the upper end of said bracket, an ear extending rearwardly from said bracket, an arm hinged at its lower end to said ear, said arm being provided with ratchet notches along the front edge, an extension spring having one end fast to said bracket and the other end fast to said arm, biased to swing said arm on its hinge toward said bracket, a ratchet notch engaging part extending laterally from said lever, positioned to engage one or another of said notches, and a pull-up string extending through the rip cord pinhole in the cone and having the free ends extending upwardly through the small fork,

around the ends of the hitch-pin and in back 7 of said flat spring.

3. For holding down the grommet and drawing the cone therethrough to its seat when closingla 1 parachute pack having cone-and-grommet fasteners with a transverse rip cord pinhole through the cone at the base, a tool which comprises a base member formed at the front end to hold down the grommet and having a-handle at the rear end, a bracket extending upwardly from the base intermediate its ends, a, lever fulcrumed on said bracket atthe upper end, a groove in the front end of said lever and a handle on the rear end, a hitch-pin on the lever intermediate the groove and the fulcrum of the lever, a clamp for the pull-up string on said bracket near the upper "end, an arm hinged atits lower end to the bracket, said arm being provided with ratchet-notches along the front edge, a spring associated with said arm and bracket biased to swingsaid arm on its hinge toward said'bracket, a ratchet notch engaging part extending from said lever, positioned to engage one or another of said notches, and a pull-up string extending through the rip cord pinhole in the cone and havingthe free ends extending upwardly through said groove,

around the ends of the hitch-pin and in back of the clamp.

4. For holding down the grommet and drawing the cone therethrough to its seat when closing a parachute pack having cone-and-grommet fasteners with a transverse rip cord pinhole through the cone at the base, a tool which comprises a base member adapted at the front end for holding down the grommet and at the rear end for a handle, a bracket on said base intermediate its ends extending upwardly, a leve fulcrumed on said bracket at the upper end, a string guide in the front end of said lever and a'handle on the through the rip cord pinhole in the cone and having the free ends extending upwardly through the groove and into the clamp means.

5. For holding down the grommet and drawing the cone therethrough to its seat when closing a parachute pack having cone and grommet fasteners with a transverse rip cord pin hole through the cone at the base, a tool which comprises a base member adapted at the front end for holding down the grommet and at the rear end for a handle, a fulcrum support intermediate the ends of said member, a lever fulcrumed on said support, a handle on the rearward end of said lever, a pull-up string extending through the rip cord pin hole in the cone and having the free ends brought together, means on the forward end of said lever for holding the free ends of said pull-up string, and ratchet means interconnecting said base member and lever biased to prevent the handles moving away from each l0 other but allow them to move toward each other.

WILLARD ROBERT HURT. 

